Yesterday’s article about the reported suicide death of Alberto Nisman, the Argentine prosecutor investigating the terrorist strike on the 1994 bombing of the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA), did our best to convey our suspicions that suicide was the least likely manner in which he lost his life. First thing with the sun rising over the Rocky Mountains came the first inklings that perhaps Alberto Nisman had not taken his own life. There were his friends who related that he was a positive and upbeat individual who loved life and lived it well. This added to the fact that his death came mere hours before he was scheduled to appear before the Congress of the Argentine Nation to give witness on the progress and particulars of his probe into the greatest singular crime of the last century. Adding to the evidence against his committing suicide his appearances in an interview where he appeared to be really looking forward to this appearance where he had stated that his investigation against Kirchner was “likely to kill me,” horribly prophetic. Well, the initial reaction in Argentina was anything but passive as friends, coworkers and the general public were all up in arms demanding a more thorough investigation be made into the suspicious death of this prosecutorial investigator. Slowly the day passed and the evidence slowly put to lie the suicide theory as the cause of death of Prosecutor Alberto Nisman. The first evidence beyond the fact that Alberto Nisman was an unlikely candidate to have committed suicide was the admission that there was no suicide note left, a sure sign against suicide as the note is much more than a simple Hollywood convention. The final knife in the heart was the fact that the firearm found in the room did not belong to Alberto Nisman and everybody knows that one would find it rather difficult to borrow a friend’s handgun with which to commit suicide. By the end of the day yesterday the Argentine government had turned from blaming the death of Prosecutor Alberto Nisman on a suicide into making it the next urgent investigation for the Argentine Prosecutors Office.

The problems with the investigation by Alberto Nisman are that it was making some powerful people uncomfortable. The fact that those people included the present and a past President of Argentina, former President Carlos Menem and current President Cristina Kirchne, made it a very poor move if personal longevity is one of your desired aims. Alberto Nisman was a man of fate, truth and integrity who went where the facts led him and damn the implications and potential to make people of power feel threatened and thus very uncomfortable by his findings. The fact that his investigation had also led to include Iran, Hezballah and the clandestine relations between certain political entities and Faustian deals over oil and influence and he boldly went where no man had before chasing only the truth. He knew the costs could be high and that the information he had gathered and their implications might even lead to his being murdered but he kept with his faith that such was not possible because Argentine society was not that of some tin pot dictatorship or third rate banana republic but a modern democracy under the rule of law. Unfortunately for Alberto Nisman somebody somewhere whose toes he had trod upon did not hold such a high view of the nation and the supremacy of the rule of law as he ended up dead on the floor of his room by a strange firearm mere hours before making witness to some truths before the national Congress where those secrets he had uncovered were about to be revealed and placed under the light of day and made clear for the eyes of the nation and the world. Now he had been silenced which only adds one more crime to the list of crimes Alberto Nisman had investigated, and also made a strong statement which those who will be tasked with investigating his death and those who will be assigned to complete his investigations will keep foremost in their minds as they carefully tread around implying any people of influence as they will never know for sure if that person is the same who already bought silence with the death of a human being. Nobody will desire these posts and whoever is so tasked may consider finding a new line of work rather than take such a risky tasking. Hopefully there will be another person of courage and dedication which is at least of a similar bravery that Alberto Nisman displayed and an immutable nerve to chase truth and do that which is required to complete the task with honesty, integrity and a thoroughness and toughness which casts all other concerns aside following down every lead to its final arrow which flies truly to home in on those guilty of crimes against the state and the AMIA bombings. Where such a person can be found is a hard task to answer as people such as Alberto Nisman are a rare and precious breed.

The fact that a man of such integrity and honesty was laid waste in a moment of selfish thuggery is a sad commentary of our world. That there was someone of high rank and influence would sink to murder a countryman even if they called upon a person of lesser morals, though which would have been the person of lesser morals is questionable, and take the life of a modern day knight who only sought to complete his assignment to its conclusion and follow the truths where they would take him is a sad testimony, period. Western society used to have leaders who would have simply taken the accusation and at the least made a deal to tell all and resign quietly melting into obscurity with their reputation ruined and reaping the scorn of their countrymen. Apparently holding on to the trappings has become more important to some in whom the people have chosen to place their trust and such a person betraying the people’s trust by the taking of the life of a public servant who was doing what the people through their government had tasked him to perform is one of the saddest accusations against those who are offered up as a valid choice to lead one of the democratic nations in our modern world. Murder to silence an accusation was something expected in monarchies, dictatorships and other lesser forms of governments and certainly not of a democratically elected governance, yet that is what we have witnessed yesterday in Argentina. The fact the there were likely also terrorist entities involved and that some of those very terrorist entities may now be placed in high and honorable positions within the government of Iran does introduce another angle which must be considered. There is little doubt that there was probably involvement in the AMIA bombing of Hezballah and Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) which train and occupy a town in the tri-border (Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay intersecting region) area in South America and the central area for terrorist activities in the Western Hemisphere and that these also may have had some part in the assassination of Alberto Nisman. The IRGC and especially the al-Quds force, which is the special forces units of the IRGC, are also a training and testing grounds for promotion into high level government positions within the Iranian theocracy such as Mohsen Rabbani who was the cultural attaché of the Iranian embassy in Buenos Aires and has since been promoted to head the Oriental Thought Cultural Institute in Qom, Iran after having started in the IRGC. Even had the assassination of Alberto Nisman been carried out by Hezballah, a probability which cannot be ignored, there was still likely somebody within the Argentine government or well connected to the current government who would have arranged the infiltration of the Hezballah terrorist who performed the strike and then facilitated the exit before the dawn revealed the results of the deed. Any way that this horrific crime was carried out it reflects on the barbarity which still remains in the halls of power even in the democratic institutions of the modern world. Such a commentary on our modern world places into question exactly how modern that world really is. Obviously we have yet to grow beyond the self-preservation which often reveals the worst side of any of us but when it involves somebody in high office in whom a great amount of trust has been placed by the people all the more difficult it is to swallow that bitter pill.

Let us pray that the murderer of Alberto Nisman is brought to justice and all involved in what is very likely a web of intrigue, criminality and depravity involving who knows how many people of immoral criminals. May another prosecutor who takes their pursuit of truth and deep faith in the law have the desire to find the hidden truth and then bring those involved in the massacre of 85 people and the injuring of 300 others in the horrific crime to be finally brought to trial and to justice and forced to pay for their heinous crimes. We should also hope that the murderer of Alberto Nisman and any accomplices both before and after the act be rounded up and face the cold judgment of the court and be made to pay for the crime of murder for the sake of denying justice and depriving the people of Argentina of a hero of heroes in the offices of the prosecutors which was exemplified by Alberto Nisman like few have done before and likely few will accomplish going forward though such is in short supply and never more needed than in the unraveling of the tangled web woven from murder and deceit. There is a hole in the fabric that is Argentina and that hole will be difficult to mend as it is the hole made by the loss of a truly complete and honest servant of the people and of law and the order it produces for their society, a hole which takes time and others of equal or greater firmness in tackling the challenges of toeing the straight line of following the truth wherever it may lead, sometimes truth is the most difficult of things to hold oneself to following. Good luck Argentina as you now have the unenviable task of setting to not only finding the murderer of an honest public servant but also the finding of a straight and honest man who is willing to follow leads wherever they should lead, and able to discern truth from obfuscations, but also having the intelligence to find the minutia and the obscured and from then piece together the whole cloth from which they were severed and torn in an attempt to keep any investigator chasing their tail in circles made of smoke, mirrors and the fog of concealment mixed with the confusion intended to dizzy even the straightest of men such that no one could conceivably make sense and rooting the truth whence it was buried. One need be intelligent and stalwart with a singularity of purpose to complete the task for which Alberto Nisman was murdered. Unfortunately, the powers that be are more likely to seek the Argentine version of Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau than they are Sherlock Holmes or better yet, another Alberto Nisman, the best choice of all.

Ariel “Arik” Sharon was the man at the focal-point of Israeli history from the fight for independence and the founding of the State of Israel to her defender throughout her wars often serving as the mainstay against disastrous potentials turning them into miraculous victories. Unfortunately, Arik Sharon will be remembered enough for his shortcomings as he will for his laudable victories both on the field of battle and within government service in the Knesset and as Minister of Defense and Prime Minister. Israel’s enemies will forever point to the assault on the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila in 1982 by Christian ‘Phalanges’ militias taking revenge for the assaults and murders of Christians by Palestinian terrorists. Arik Sharon was cleared of direct responsibility for these attacks but will always suffer from suspicions that he could have taken steps to either prevent or severely curtail the resulting slaughter. Arik Sharon will also be remembered by many ardent Zionists as the man behind the destructions of the Sinai settlements when Israel traded the entire Sinai Peninsula for a potentially worthless treaty which may result in not being worth the paper it is printed on as well as the driving force behind the most disastrous political decision made throughout Israeli history, the disengagement from the Gaza Strip which resulted in allowing a Hamas governed terrorist entity that trains and launches endless attacks on Israelis living in the southern half of the country.

Where these detractions from what would otherwise be one of the most laudable men in the modern history of Israel will forever be noted in the written history, for the period of mourning for a man who served the nation and her people to the best of his formidable ability we should forgive his transgressions and pay homage and give thanks for all that the man known as the Bulldozer gave selflessly to the absolute best of his abilities. As a military commander and soldier he never showed any sign of weakness or indecision. No task he was assigned was ever too difficult as he surmounted every challenge in his path by plowing straight ahead as a bulldozer smashing all in his path. Arik Sharon was not one to shrink from challenges and was ever the bold leader needed at some of the darkest times of great challenge from the fight for independence through facing the terror threats and assaults by foreign armies. When confusion ruled the day, Arik Sharon would point his troops in the direction of the threats and always gave the same order, go forward, straight to the goal and let nothing stand to deny you your victory, and that was exactly what the troops under his command would do, executing somewhat out of fear of falling short and having to face Sharon and explain as well as because they had been well trained and had the confidence in themselves and in General Sharon.

For the time being, let us all praise the greatness as a protector of Eretz Yisroel and her people that was Arik Sharon and put aside any differences we may have had with the man who Israel could always rely upon on the field of battle. Admire a commander of troops for whom retreat was simply not moving forward as rapidly as he would have liked but never would it mean giving lands needing to pay for that same piece of ground twice. We should honor the man for whom everything could be settled with a good dose of boldness and determination, a trait he exalted on the battlefield and also brought to politics. It can be said simply that Arik Sharon did not take prisoners and could always be depended upon to advance never resting on his laurels. Let us remember Arik Sharon as a man of action who after a long service where remaining complacent was never a consideration faded slowly away allowing time for a nation to carefully consider his merits and deficiencies and hopefully the vast majority will side that Arik Sharon was a laudable man of convictions and proud in service of his country and its people. Eretz Yisroel owes him thanks for honest service in deed and thought, may he be accepted with grace, blessings, and Psalms of appreciation in Heaven.

Eulogies can be purely complimentary telling only the great and commendable acts, leaning towards humorous where some of the more quaint and amusing events are recounted usually only with those closest friends or it can be honest praising the praiseworthy while also noting those items less desirable from the person’s life, this will be an honest Eulogy for Nelson Mandela. Nobody can take away from the fact that Nelson Mandela was the right man in the right place at the right time speaking the right words for equal rights and an end to the persecution and dehumanizing effects of Apartheid in South Africa. Nelson Mandela was not the only leader or even the preeminent leader of the cause but will always remain the most noteworthy and inspirational speakers and the man credited for leading the fight against injustice. Nelson Mandela will also be remembered for his continuing to speak out against those places, people and governments from which he perceived injustice and persecution. Likely one of the singular stands that will reflect most honorable was his choice to call for calm, eschewing violence and vengeance, and taking an angry people in a constructive direction using the energies to establish constructive ends rather than destructive ends. Whether Nelson Mandela’s actions as President of South Africa and the path he placed South Africa upon after Apartheid will be measured by historians further in the future when an objective and honest assessment is possible as such a perspective would be difficult to record as an official history now so close after his passing.

There was another side of Nelson Mandela, the politician, who saw Communism as the only true answer to uneven wealth distribution and the system which gave the poor and formerly oppressed any chance at equality within society. It was this view which led Nelson Mandela to see Apartheid wherever he witnessed poverty, especially if the poverty was mostly found in an oppressed peoples within the society. This view led Nelson Mandela to praise Fidel Castro and declare that Communist Cuba had achieved the “systematic eradication of racism”. He also laid a wreath on the grave of Ayatollah Khomeini, the father of the Iranian revolution, and to warmly greeting his successor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stating, “We are indebted to the Islamic Revolution”. Nelson Mandela praised Yasser Arafat upon his passing claiming that Arafat was an “outstanding freedom fighter”. Nelson Mandela was a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause which lead to his referring to Israel as an Apartheid state where racism is practiced and the Palestinians in the occupied lands were oppressed and persecuted. Seated next to Yasser Arafat in Gaza in 1999 Nelson Mandela proclaimed, “All men and women with vision choose peace rather than confrontation, except in cases where we cannot proceed, where we cannot move forward. Then if the only alternative is violence, we will use violence”.

The greatest detractor to claiming Nelson Mandela worthy of universal acclaim as being nearly a saint on Earth was his blind distrust of Capitalism which he viewed as another form of Apartheid. It was through this lens that he referred to the United States as a flawed nation and to declare that Israel was an Apartheid state every bit as bad and oppressive as was South Africa. This denouncing of Israel was probably the single strongest witness giving support and affirmation to the campaign against Israel and the often repeated denunciation of Israel as practicing Apartheid. It was this view of an Apartheid Israel that allowed for Nelson Mandela to condone and support Palestinian terror attacks claiming that this was their sole recourse to right the wrongs perpetrated against them. Nelson Mandela never saw, or refused to take accounting of the fact that Arabs, Muslims, Christians, Druze and every race of peoples living in Israel have equal rights and that there are Arab Muslims serving in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, and serving as judges in courts which stand to adjudicate every Israel citizen equally, and there are Muslims and every other faith and peoples working as doctors, lawyers, and every professions side by side with the Jews of Israel with total equality. All religions are permitted to be practices in Israel and every religion is free to build a place to practice their religion be it a Synagogue, Church, Mosque, Temple or other structure. But when you view the world seeking out inequality and are firm in your belief that the main cause of any inequality is because of Apartheid, then you see and bear witness to Apartheid almost everywhere you look. It is unlikely that any streets, bridges, buildings, schools, parks or other honorable titled objects will ever be dedicated to Nelson Mandela in Israel, at least not any time soon. All in all, Nelson Mandela will remain the man who liberated South Africa from Apartheid and for that reason alone the man who was Nelson Mandela will be remembered favorably and receive the honors of which he is due. No person is perfect but some rise above their detractions to greatness in their remembrance and Nelson Mandela was most certainly such a man.

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